Montville,
Ohio
Family Lawyers

We serve Lake County, Cuyahoga, Geauga and Ashtabula Counties. We are often serving clients in local municipal courts as well as the county courts. We strive to understand each clients unique needs in... Read More »

Scott is lead-counsel who is responsible for all aspects of representing injured individuals in automobile accident, premises-liability, medical and dental malpractice, § 1983, and other personal injury claims; advising, counseling, and representing small businesses in formation, transactions, and litigation; advocating for mothers and fathers in custody disputes and protecting the interests of wives and husbands in domestic relations matters; and defending individuals charged with criminal offense in state and municipal courts.

Gary S. Okin is certified as a specialist in Family Law by the Ohio State Bar Association. His focus includes divorce and dissolution, child custody, support and alimony, domestic violence, litigation & appeals, adoption and juvenile law. Gary Okin is admitted to practice before the Ohio Supreme Court and the United States District Court, Northern District of Ohio. Gary is a contributor to several journals and Continuing Legal Education seminars. He is one of the first attorneys to be designated a Certified Specialist in the area of Domestic Relations Law by the Ohio State Bar Association.

Jon D. Axelrod is the founder of Axelrod Law Offices in Willowick, and he has shaped the firm to reflect his deepest values. Mr. Axelrod believes that attorneys should provide effective legal direction while giving compassionate care to the client. He understands that legal decisions carry a great deal of distress and pressure, whether the client is considering bankruptcy, undergoing a divorce, or is accused of a crime. His primary aim is to provide peace of mind to his clients. Our firm accomplishes this through our personal relationship with each client and our devotion to providing the strongest legal care...

Protecting dependent, neglected and abused children was the role of Family Law attorney Kenneth Cahill at the Lake County Prosecutor’s Juvenile Division representing the Lake County Department of Jobs & Family Services. Practicing Family Law since 1991, Ken Cahill started first as an Assistant Lake County Prosecutor enforcing and modifying child support orders before joining the Lake County Prosecutors Juvenile Division. Ken has also prosecuted criminal cases against juvenile offenders. In 1993, he commenced his private practice primarily focusing on Family Law before joining Dworken & Bernstein in 2000. Ken Cahill has frequently lectured on several topics...

Laurie A. Koerner is a lifelong resident of Lake County, Ohio. Her legal practice focuses on the area of family law litigation, including divorce, dissolution, child support, spousal support, and custody matters. She has been employed in the Family Law Department of Dworken & Bernstein since 1990, and joined the firm as an attorney in 2009. In addition, Laurie has specialized training in alternate dispute resolution methods, including divorce and family law mediation and collaborative divorce. The goal of mediation is to assist parties in resolving their differences by mutual agreement, and to avoid incurring both the financial and...

Experience
Magistrate, Lake County Domestic Relations Court
March 1992 - December 31, 2002
Magistrate, Ashtabula County Common Pleas Court
July 1997 - December 1998
Acting Judge, Painesville Municipal Court
March 2008 - continuing
Education
Bachelor of Business Administration, Kent State University, 1983
Juris Doctor, Cleveland Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University, 1989
Admitted to practice before the Courts of the State of Ohio, the Federal District Court and the United States Supreme Court.
Professional Organizations
Lake County Bar Association
Ohio State Bar Association
Ohio Womenâs Bar Association
Family Law Committee, Lake County Bar Association
Ohio Association of Domestic Relations Judges (former member)
Ohio Association...

Family law generally concerns domestic relations and family-related matters such as marriage, civil unions, domestic partnerships, adoptions, paternity, guardianships, domestic abuse, surrogacy, child custody, child abduction, the dissolution of marriage and associated issues. Each state has its own set of family laws, and traveling across state borders can sometimes affect your rights and those of your family.

Contrary to popular belief, seeking the advice of a family law attorney does not necessarily mean that something is amiss in your family. A family law attorney can help negotiate prenuptial/premarital agreements for clients in anticipation of marriage or advise same-sex couples on relevant legal issues affecting their relationship. They also can help with adoption proceedings and other procedures involving children.

Family law attorneys often do represent clients seeking a divorce, annulment or legal separation, and the complicated issues that can arise as a result. Although domestic abuse is a criminal offense, some family law attorneys are skilled at handling these situations, as they are often entangled with other family law issues.

Some jurisdictions certify lawyers as family law specialists, which means these attorneys have met the certifying body's minimum requirements for education, experience, and examination.

No-Fault Proceeding:
A civil case in which parties may resolve their dispute without a formal finding of error or fault.

Paternity Suit:
A lawsuit to determine the father of a child whose parents were not married when the child was born.